We ended our day yesterday at Methodist Hospital in Houston. As we were eating lunch, Chris realized that she had missed a call from her sister. She listened to the voice message and found that her Dad was being life-flighted from Bay City to Methodist. Not many details, just that he appeared to be having a brain bleed in the temporal area. Actually it was in nurse-speak. They are both RN's. Chris had to translate for me that that meant a stroke. She tried to call back, but her sister was already on her way to Bay City, and she turns her phone off while she drives.
So we jumped in the car and headed North to Texas. We were the first family members to arrive. He was awake, but very confused about where he was and what had actually happened to him. We spent most of the time just trying to talk him down and keep him calm. I don't think he knew for sure who I was, but he seemed to recognize Chris. The stroke had already affected his speech. Not that it was particularly slurred, but he would fixate on one phrase and say that as an answer to every question. As the afternoon progressed it seemed to get worse. He still did the fixate thing, but he started using inappropriate words. As a result what came out of his mouth was a mixed-up jumble. He got very agitated at one point and almost came out of the bed, but with the help of a large physician's assistant we calmed him down.
They did a second cat scan while we were there. It showed that the area was still bleeding, but very slowly. That PA was very helpful. He pulled up the cat scan on a computer screen and patiently explained to us how they came to the conclusion that the bleed was continuing. He showed us how the screen showed different densities as different levels of gray, which in turn made it possible to assume that the bleed had probably begun several days ago. The area in question had grown over the hours since the first one had been done in Bay City. Fascinating stuff.
We stuck around until around 8:30 last night. The doctors said they were just going to monitor the area for a while. At this point they didn't see an immediate need to do surgery. That remained an option, though. He will be in the hospital for three or four days at least. That's the best case scenario where the bleeding stops on its own and the body dissipates the blood. Chris' brother stayed the night, and she plans to head back up there this morning sometime after we get Mom over to Libbie's Place. I have a wedding rehearsal this afternoon, so we'll see about getting the truck back from Nathan in case she stays most of the day. I've been getting a lot of encouragement from friends on FaceBook that they are praying. Please, keep it up. This guy needs the Lord right now, and he is very angry at Him. Has been for a long time.
Isaiah 45:11-12 says, "This is what the Lord says — the Holy One of Israel, and its Maker: Concerning things to come, do you question me about my children, or give me orders about the work of my hands? It is I who made the earth and created mankind upon it. My own hands stretched out the heavens; I marshaled their starry hosts."
Father, somehow use this hospital experience to draw Chris' Dad to you. Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment